Perth & Peel MTB Master Plan - Open for Public Consultation

WestCycle and WAMBA are pleased to announce that the Perth and Peel Mountain Bike Master Plan is now open for public comment.

The Perth and Peel Mountain Bike Master Plan will guide strategic investment to maximise the benefits that mountain biking can offer to the Perth and Peel regions. It provides an opportunity to create a series of diverse and sustainable mountain bike experiences that will foster community participation, strengthen stakeholder partnerships and provide tourism opportunities.

Environment Minister Albert Jacob said the draft plan outlined key objectives and priorities to guide the future development of mountain bike trails in the Perth and Peel regions including the potential delivery of 570km of purpose-built trails across 24 sites.

“Mountain biking is one of the fastest growing recreational pursuits and it is essential that we have an effective plan in place to maximise potential benefits for bike riders and the ecotourism sector, whilst protecting our diverse environment,” he said.

The Perth and Peel Master Plan is the second master plan to be developed out of the recommendations of the Western Australian Mountain Bike Strategy. The South West Mountain Bike Master Plan was released in November 2015 and is on the cusp of becoming an international destination for mountain biking.

“The Perth and Peel Master Plan is the culmination of a significant amount of work that has gone into creating a strategic plan for the development of mountain biking in the Perth and Peel regions. This plan now gives a platform for discussions with landowners, stakeholders and the community to further advance mountain biking,” WestCycle CEO Matt Fulton said.

The Perth Peel Master Plan, along with the South West Master Plan, fits under the Western Australian Mountain Bike Strategy which lays out the future vision for mountain biking in the State as a leading recreational and tourism experience by delivering opportunities, maximising participation and sharing the benefits.

Alex Wade, President of the West Australian Mountain Bike Association also acknowledges the massive amount of work that has gone into the Perth and Peel Master Plan. “This [work] is reflective of the attention our sport is getting by both State and local government. Once finalised it will herald an exciting new phase that will help guide and shape trail evolution across our region. We look forward to seeing the development of the master plan into the planning and creation of trails."

Sport and Recreation Minister Mia Davies said the draft plan was the result of detailed assessment and consultation with key stakeholders and included a comprehensive review of the existing trails, infrastructure, events, tourism and commercial opportunities of mountain bike riding.

“It ensures that these trails will be highly accessible to most metropolitan population centres, providing riders with dedicated sustainable trails as an alternative to creating unsanctioned trails which create environmental, social and management issues,” she said.

The Master Plan has involved assessment of vast parcels of land in the project area, spanning from Waroona in the south to Yanchep in the north, for its potential for mountain biking development. A multi criteria analysis was used to review over 160 locations, and the plan proposes varying scales of developments at 24 individual locations.

The Master Plan was prepared by trails planning consultant Common Ground Trails, on behalf of WestCycle, with financial support from Lotterywest, Department of Parks and Wildlife and Department of Sport and Recreation.